Topical Retinoid / Topical Antibacterial
Efficacy
67%
Based on All Available Studies
Strength of Evidence
Topical Retinoid / Topical Antibacterial
Side Effects
Low-Medium
Topical Retinoid / Topical Antibacterial
Acne.org’s Real World Take
A way of using benzoyl peroxide in combination with the topical retinoid, adapalene, that studies show works a bit better than benzoyl peroxide alone. Comes with side effects for the first weeks and can bleach fabric. Note: When used correctly, benzoyl peroxide on its own can completely clear the skin.
Topical Retinoid / Topical Antibacterial
How to Get It
Have a dermatologist? Make an appointment to get this medication. Don't have a dermatologist? See The American Academy of Dermatology Physician Database to find one.
Used Adapalene / Benzoyl Peroxide (Epiduo®)? Rate It:
Choose from 1 to 5 stars
August 16, 2017
Does nothing for severe acne
I was prescribed this for moderate acne, and the first week or so it DID work, a little bit. It dried my face out which is expected but after about a week it was like applying water on my face and letting it sit there overnight. It did nothing. It seems to only work for those who have a pimple here and there.
sio06
November 8, 2017
Epiduo increases the skins turnover rate so takes a good 3 months to see results
August 15, 2017
Average
Ive used this on and off for years since I was 13 (I'm now 18) and always stop because it dries my oily skin up so badly. However I decided to stick with it and try again and it cleared up my skin quite well, I kept sticking out the dryness as I could see it was working but after 4 months I gave up again. The dry skin is just such a put off for me and always makes me stop using it. I think it works for clearing active acne but I can't say it did much for my skin texture or blocked pores. Also over the years I have destroyed countless clothes and pillow cases as this causing bleaching in fabrics. However id still recommend it as it did help my skin but it hasn't been a life saver for me. Its worth a try
July 31, 2017
8 Weeks in
8 Weeks in and still no progress, help?! I apply a pea size amount every evening, but am still getting new white pustules every day
May 24, 2018
you may still be in the purging stage.
July 22, 2017
my ride or die
epiduo dries out pimples and if you breakout epiduo is there to save the day. However after using this epiduo for months and months and years and years relying on it, it irritated my skin and made specific places where i applied the epiduo very red, sensitive and irritated (maybe because i did not apply a pea size amount). HOWEVER, i still think this is one of the best topical pimple treatments out there, and definitely by far the best one ive tried out of duac, clindamycin toner, etc.
July 7, 2017
Product used: Epiduo (Forte Gel)
Worse skin than before
I'm 16 years old, and I've struggled with moderate acne since I was around 12 years old. I tried to put off seeing a dermatologist because I thought it would be embarrassing, so instead, I tried basically every over the counter topical medication I could find; AcneClear, Proactiv, Cetaphil, Biore, and probably at least twenty more brands. I finally worked up the courage to go see a dermatologist, and he prescribed me Epiduo Forte and some doxycycline pills. I wash my face with Cetaphil then apply the epiduo once every night before I go to sleep. I never got any of the burning sensation, to me it felt cool for the first few days, and now it doesn't give any sensation at all. I was SO excited to start using this because most of the reviews were positive and acted like it was a miracle worker. I've been using this for over a month, and I'm disappointed to say, I'm NOT HAPPY. My skin is the worst it's ever been, and I haven't seen any improvement at all. Before starting this, my skin was bad, but it was mostly centered on my cheeks. My chin and forehead were completely clear. After using epiduo, my acne has gone to moderate to severe, and there is no longer any clear area of my skin. At first I thought it must be a "purge phase" but this has been going on for about 6 weeks, so I'm losing hope. I really don't know what else to try.
April 23, 2018
Go to the dermatologist and get prescribed ACCUTANE! I promise it will work!! It's a 5 month treatment. I had severe cystic acne, and this truly was a miracle!!! Warning, it gets way worse before it gets better & you get really dry. But I promise it is worth it!! It has been 4 years since I did it, & I had literally zero acne for the first 3 years, & now I only get like 1 every few months!
June 24, 2017
AMAZING besides a few side effects
I am a teenage girl who has suffered from acne for 5 years (12-17) - I felt like I had tried nearly everything and started to get desperate about clearing my worsening facial, chest and back acne. Finally I tried this stuff and I made the mistake of applying every night for the first week and the more sensitive skin (neck and face) went bright red and felt like it was on fire. As well as this, my skin was so incredibly itchy that I had to excuse myself from class just to get an ice pack to cool down my back. But god was it worth it. About three weeks in and my skin is so silky smooth and nearly completely clear. The only thing I can say is that my skin is still super sensitive to sweat and water but honestly, for me, it is totally worth it.
June 7, 2017
In the process, Week 4
I've been on epiduo for 4 weeks now and I have had moderate acne for about a year, when it started i didn't really see much of a difference it got a little better. At week 3-4 I have started experiencing the purge stage on my chin and it is pretty rough, but everywhere else has no acne just fading scars. Just got to stick it out. Hopefully it will be done purging in a couple weeks. During this purging stage I have probably had about 5 new pimples a day on my chin. I will post again at 8 weeks and then at 12 weeks. Thinking long term helps a lot and getting the epiduo app as well.
May 23, 2017
Yes, even for dry sensitive skin
My daughter was on antibiotics for 9 months for Lyme disease treatment. When she went off the medication she broke out terribly on her face and her back. Long term antibiotics wreck your gut which among other things can cause acne. She started treatment with epiduo forte on her face but in a way that minimized the harsh effects. She already has dry sensitive skin so she applied it every other night mixed in with her moisterizer and worked up to full strength slowly. At the same time we healed her gut with probiotics - pills and kombucha and bone broth every day ( yes bone broth, google bone broth and healing acne) it has been a few months now and she is pretty much all cleared up. The marks have faded considerably and improve every day. Her back is completely clear.
May 13, 2017
Product used: Epiduo (Forte Gel)
Glad I stuck it out
Ive been on epiduo for about a month and a half. the purge phase for me lasted a good 4 weeks: i broke out in places ive never broken out before, had major breakouts on my forehead, and my skin was red and peely. the breakouts were nothing big, but a ton of individual small bumps that were miserable. . it wasn't until recently when i started seeing good improvements in my skin. Don;t get me wrong, its nowhere near perfect, but its a lot more manageable. I used to get whiteheads and have to worry about them becoming HUGE (im talking pea-sized) whiteheads that caused major scarring on my face. now, i still get some whiteheads but i can go to sleep having put on epiduo knowing they would be gone the next day. the cycle of my breakouts has become a lot faster and i dont worry about breakouts becoming inflamed. I also think that epiduo has helped somewhat with oil control and my pores are definitely smaller. also, it has overturned new skin cells so my skin looks overall fresher and less textured. I am happy where it is going and hopeful for perfect skin in the future. UPDATE: while epiduo did help the texture of my skin, and it helped breakouts go away faster, they werent stopping. i was on the treatment for maybe three months with no change. I am not on Onexton in the morning and retin A every other night, and i am already hopeful for this. The epiduo fpaved a path for retin A so i am experiencing no dryness so far. I still use epiduo as a spot treatment as it still works great to make pimples go away fast
May 5, 2017
It does work!
If you're reading this you might wanna know whether Epiduo is effective or not, right? Lemme first give you a background on my acne, I started suffering from it when I was in highschool then it got worse until this year. I tried every way possible to cure it, from regular facial, chemical peel, iontophoresis to taking isotretinoin(which is the generic name for Accutance), they did treat my acne but only for a while. Then I came back to my dermatologists and he recommended me Epiduo, I'm like you who's skeptical on trying it because it 'might' not help again BUT when I read all the positive reviews on Epiduo here in acne.org I've decided why don't I give this a try. So for 14 weeks now I've been applying this wonder, my face is 90% clear with acne marks though. Together with Epiduo, I wash my face with Cetaphil and cold guava tea, then rub banana peel 3x a day for 30 minutes and serum. For those of you who's on the verge of giving up on this product please don't, be patient and positive. 😊